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Denton and Smasal vying to represent Democrats in 2nd Congressional District against Jen Kiggans
Attorney Jeremiah “Jake” Denton IV and Missy Cotter Smasal, a Navy veteran, are vying for the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District. Though the primary is just weeks away, the candidates have their eyes set on the November general election. So far, they’ve refrained from fierce attacks against each other, instead saving their jabs for incumbent Republican Jen Kiggans or the GOP overall. The winner of the June 18 primary will face a tough fight in November. Kiggans ousted Democrat Elaine Luria from the seat two years ago. This year’s race is expected to be among the most competitive in the nation and could help determine which party holds the House of Representatives.
Fifth District GOP candidate John McGuire accused of defamation, facing lawsuit
VA-05 Republican candidate John McGuire is facing a lawsuit for defamation after naming an individual in a press release earlier this year. In March, the McGuire campaign sent out a press release saying that a supporter of his primary opponent, Rep. Bob Good, R-VA05, assaulted a woman at an event. Paul Raymond was cited in the press release as the Good supporter who allegedly committed the assault. A judge dismissed the charge against Raymond. The press release sent out by the McGuire campaign had the subject line: “POLICE CALLED: Team Good attacks Team Trump AGAIN.”
Rand Paul rallies for Bob Good in Lynchburg
A large crowd showed up in Lynchburg on Monday afternoon for a rally featuring U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, who was in town to campaign for U.S. Rep. Bob Good, the two-term Republican congressman who is facing a tough primary challenge from state Sen. John McGuire in Virginia's 5th Congressional District. McGuire has received the coveted endorsement of former President Donald Trump, and his own polling suggests he leads Good by some 14 points in the race.
Tests of Mountain Valley Pipeline point to more potential problems
Tests of the almost-completed Mountain Valley Pipeline through the end of March revealed about 130 potential problem areas that required additional analysis, according to records from a federal safety agency. Caliper tool runs, which involve running a device though sections of the buried pipe to check for dents and other weaknesses, “showed that 50 anomalies needed to be excavated for further analysis or remediation,” the records state.
Why D.C.-area schools are grappling with tighter budgets
School systems across the D.C. region are bracing for tighter budgets — including some cuts — as costs rise, local tax revenue is strained and one-time pandemic relief money goes away. Many local governments in the region have approved budgets, or will do so in coming weeks, leaving districts to reconcile what programs or needs they can fund within their allocated budgets. ... In Northern Virginia, meanwhile, many school districts saw increases in their budgets. However, rising costs mean the budgets are really only maintaining existing initiatives. ... In Virginia, a report released last summer by a watchdog for state lawmakers found that schools were drastically underfunded compared with nearby states.
Sen. Mark Warner says U.S. may be less prepared for election threats than it was four years ago
With only five months before voters head to the polls, the U.S. may be more vulnerable to foreign disinformation aimed at influencing voters and undermining democracy than it was before the 2020 election, the leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Monday. Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, based his warning on several factors: improved disinformation tactics by Russia and China, the rise of domestic candidates and groups who are themselves willing to spread disinformation, and the arrival of artificial intelligence programs that allow the rapid creation of images, audio and video difficult to tell from the real thing.
Youngkin discusses antisemitism at Norfolk conference: ‘We have to continue to stand against hate’
Government leaders from across the state, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin, gathered Monday to share experiences and ideas on how to stand up to antisemitism. Virginia Summit to Combat Antisemitism, a two-day conference that began Sunday, was held at the Hilton Norfolk The Main. It was organized by Combat Antisemitism Movement, a nonprofit founded in 2019 that tracks antisemitic incidents and threats against Jews while working to foster dialogue and propose solutions.
Youngkin: We’ll keep battling antisemitism, including on campus
During a trade mission this spring that took him to Germany, Gov. Glenn Youngkin told his team he wanted to stop at Dachau, site of one of the Nazis’ concentration camps. “I wanted ... us to stop and reflect on what it means to try to annihilate entire people ... it is so important that we never forget. It is so important that we remind ourselves that if we forget that it could happen again,” he said Monday at the Virginia Summit to Combat Antisemitism, held in Norfolk.
Cline backing Freedom Caucus chair Bob Good in closely-watched GOP primary
U.S. Rep Ben Cline (R-6th) has endorsed Rep. Bob Good in the high-profile GOP primary race in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. Good, who heads the House Freedom Caucus, is being challenged by state Sen. John McGuire III (R-Goochland). Good’s website notes that Cline is among the congressional Republicans backing him in the June 18 primary, for which millions of dollars are being spent in campaign advertising. Cline told the Frederick County Republican Committee that he will “fight” for Good earlier this year. “I endorsed Bob from the get-go,” Cline, a member of the Freedom Caucus, told the local GOP in February.
Chesapeake Bay cleanup faces difficult trade-offs with agriculture
Rarely has the future been so clear. At midnight on Dec. 31, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay region will miss its goal for reducing nutrient pollution in the Bay. It will be the third miss, after work toward deadlines in 2000 and 2010 also came up short. While progress has been made, trends since the most recent Bay cleanup goals were set in 2010 suggest the region might not hit its nutrient reduction target for many decades. The primary reason for the shortfall is the region’s inability to grapple with the 25% of the Bay watershed that is covered by farms.